Every Rose Has it's Thorn
by Destany Mitchell
Summary: Challenge Fic. Set after Broken Engagement/Trash Man. "So, had I gone to  get  drinks with you, would you have had sex with me?"
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Notes**: This fic is a challenge from my friend/sister and beta, Rockerbabe. Apparently she decided I could write this plot bunny better than she could. I don't know, I guess we'll see. Challenge requirements are included for your reference. Thought it might be fun and…well, provides a good decent-ish summary of what to expect and saves me the hassle of trying to provide one myself. Seriously, worst part about fanfiction writing ever is trying to come up with a decent summary. Anyway, hope you enjoy! : )

**Requirements**:

Set after Broken Engagement/Trash Man

Fitch and Sanchez are alone for some reason at her apartment

After awhile, Fitch comes right out and asks "So, had I gone to (get) drinks with you, would you have had sex with me?"

They get in a fight and goes round and before he storms out (away), she asks why does it matter and his response is "Ask Finley in 10 years"

Sanchez realizes what he means and tries to go after him but he's already gone. Could end here OR she could go to his place/they hook up or something OR whatever your heart desires.

* * *

**Every Rose Has It's Thorn**

**Part 1**

"So, you going tonight?"

Simple question.

Simple answer?

Not when you're asking one Louis Fitch, Detective Ariana Sanchez though as she twisted the cord of her phone around her finger. Why she didn't go over there and ask the man himself, she'll never know. This thing with the one-to-one phone calls has gone on for longer than she can remember. She always chalked it up to a weird tick of Fitch's, but she's grown to like this means of communication. You don't have to look the other in the eyes. You don't have to hide your reaction to rejection. Though that was only a recent thing. She's always liked the secrecy in it, the way his voice lowered or the game of trying to sound like the conversation was official business. Though sometimes, like today, they didn't bother trying to be covert.

Sometimes, they were just personal.

The long pause was starting to get her nervous, and she glanced over at the man in question across the room. He was glaring at his partner from across his desk.

She watched as Fitch twirled around in his chair, his back to his partner, and thus, his face away from her.

"No. Why?"

"I'm going."

She stated simply, as if that was all that was needed to convince him to go out and be sociable. Ariana should know better by now. Louis Fitch did not do social interactions as a group as a general rule. He might make an effort after a particularly nasty case or to celebrate catching a really difficult criminal, but those were even far and fewer between. Nope, she didn't know why she didn't expect his response. Maybe it was because she thought he'd change. Maybe it was because she secretly wished he would come.

There was a long pause again. She smiled to herself. She could almost imagine Fitch's brilliant mind trying to figure out what she was asking and why.

"Is that supposed to be convincing?" He finally asked, a bit of amusement now twigging his voice. Fitch turned around and was doing something on his computer; probably playing solitaire, or something equally mundane, to avoid looking in her direction.

She quickly averted her eyes before he could catch her staring in his direction and cradled the phone on her shoulder as she looked down at a piece of paper on her desk, picking up a pen and doodling absent mindedly on it. In her peripheral, she noticed Washington getting up from his desk and walking out of the room.

"No, just stating a fact." She responded, with a sigh. "I figured because your partner was the one organizing"

"Just because he's my partner, doesn't mean I have to go out with the boy," Fitch snapped, his words coming out slightly annoyed, but Sanchez knew better. She knew Fitch liked the rookie he now worked with. He was hard on him and Fitch was only hard on the one's he respected. Not that he'd ever admit it.

"Hmmm. Well, you should."

"What's in it for me?" He asked and it was her turn to be stumped.

She was surprised it took him this long. Usually, Fitch was the one to leave her guessing during their double-entendre conversations, not the other way around. She thought she was going to be able to one up him this time, but she should have known better. Though she could think of a thing or two she'd like to do to him, not that he'd be interested. He sort of made that clear the other night, she thought bitterly.

"I guess you'll never know if you don't show up," She retorted, pulling the phone away from her ear and returning it to the cradle before he could one-up her again. She smiled a bit to herself when she glanced up and saw Fitch staring at her, a slightly puzzled, but an intrigued look in his eyes.

Yep. Detective Louis Fitch was going to Freer Bar tonight.

**Freer Bar **

The gang all arrived at the Freer Bar. Ariana was seated at a table, laughing at something Longford had just said, and glanced over at the door. They had all been here for just over an hour and Louis Fitch had yet to show up. The remaining of the gang were all there, sans Longford who had to get home and celebrate his granddaughter's birthday and Mason who needed to get home to her own daughters. Ariana tried not to let her disappointment show at Fitch's absence. She should have known better than to think he would show.

"Another round?" Her partner, John Stone asked. She shook her head and took another swig of her beer. She hadn't yet finished her first one.

"You didn't need to go home to be with the baby?" Mahajan asked Washington as he glanced at his phone for the fifth time this evening.

"No, I got the night off." He said, smiling at the group.

"Looks like it," Mahajan quipped as said phone rang the tell tale ringtone designated for Washington's wife. This week, it was "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Michael Bolton. Washington glared at the devise before hitting the ignore key.

Everyone "oooh-ed" in response and laughed at the young detective, knowing his wife would only call back until she got an answer from him.

"She knows where I am. I don't need to answer it." Washington stated, glancing nervously at his phone before he placed it back in his pocket.

"Uh-hu. I think someone's going to be in trouble later with the wife," Mahajan stated, rolling his eyes. "That's another why I won't get married. Nag, nag nag."

"She doesn't nag," Washington defended, his point being made moot as his phone went off again. Washington looked annoyed as he reached into his pocket.

"You better answer that, Kid."

Sanchez glanced up from staring at the label on her beer and up at the voice who spoke. There stood, Detective Louis Fitch, looking smug as a bastard as he pulled a chair from the table across from him and planted it at the end of the table. Washington sighed and did as Fitch suggested and answered the call. He moved away from the table, sounding flustered.

Stone came back from the bar with another beer and took his place next to Ariana. She glanced over at him as he scooted his chair a little closer to her. She snapped her head in his direction and glared at him. What did he think he was doing? She told him what had happened between them was just…it wasn't meant to happen. It just…did. It was the product of being upset, a rough case, someone to talk to and a bunch of booze.

That was it.

That night with Stone meant _nothing_.

She had tried to let him down easy, knowing he did care for her more than she cared to admit.

It didn't give him the right to suddenly become possessive when Fitch was around. With a discrete jab in the ribs, she muttered to her partner "Stop it!"

"What?" He asked, looking at her like she grew a second head.

Before Ariana could rip him a new one, Washington returned to the table. He smiled at Fitch as he sat down at his chair.

"I thought you weren't coming," He stated, sounding pleased.

"Had nothing better to do," Fitch stated, his voice nonchalant, but the look he sent Sanchez was anything but. She shivered slightly and took another swig of her beer to hide her emotions.

"Well, Peeps, it's been fun, but I see some hot blondes over there," Mahajan stated, nodding at a couple of, as he stated, hot blondes, across the room, "that are calling my name."

"I didn't hear anything," Stone stated, a dead pan expression on his face. "Did you guys?"

"You're funny," Mahajan stated, looking annoyed. "See you people later, I'm blowing this joint" he said, moving away from the group and over to the blondes.

"I give him two minutes," Stone observed, watching his comrade approach the girls.

"They're out of his league," Fitch stated. "He'll get….15 seconds, if that."

"That a bet?" Stone asked. Fitch shrugged. "Loser buys for winner."

"It's your money."

"You guys are seriously betting on if those girls take an interest in Mahajan?" Washington asked, sounding incredulous.

"Men," Ariana agreed, with a sigh, but watched the interaction across the bar along with Fitch and Stone, unable to keep her interest away. Sure enough, he didn't get further than "hi" before the blondes moved away from him. Mahajan turned back to the table, still smiling and shrugged as he made his way back over.

"I believe, you owe me a beer, Stone." Fitch smirked as Mahajan made it back to the table.

"Thought you were 'blowing this joint'" Washington joked.

"They weren't interested. They don't know what they're missing," Mahajan preened as he retook his place at the table.

The gang continued to rip on each other and generally, unwind. It felt good to be together without having to stress about suspects and interviews or solving some kind of crime. The camaraderie was something that could only be created by a small group of people would lie down their lives for the others at the table. They hoped it wouldn't come to that, but they all knew they would.

Getting up from the table, laughing at something Stone had just said, Ariana walked up to the bar to order another beer. She signaled the bar tender and waited, cash in hand. Ariana jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her back and stiffened as she felt someone lean into her.

"I hope this isn't what you had in mind earlier when you propositioned me into coming,"

Ariana shivered at the voice in her ear.

Fitch.

She hadn't seen follow her when she got up.

She smirked and turned around to face him, leaning her side against the bar as he assumed a similar position next to her.

"You mean you're not having fun?" She quipped.

"We have different ideas of … _fun_, if this is yours." Fitch stated, his eyes looking darker as his gaze locked with hers. Or maybe it was the light.

"It's a night out with co-workers. What did you expect?" Sanchez asked, raising an eyebrow, but not looking away from his gaze.

Could the beer, She thought.

"I'm not sure," He stated, simply.

Definitely the light and the beer, she decided.

Silence passed between them. Not the uncomfortable kind, but the kind of silence that exists between two people completely at ease with each other. Ariana found she couldn't look away from his eyes. They seemed to pull her in, trap her, drown her.

"Here ya go," A voice said and Ariana jumped as the sound of a bottle hit the bar before her, spilling a bit of the amber liquid on her arm resting on the surface and snapping her out of her reverie and back to the present.

She had to be more careful.

She couldn't let herself get caught up in him again.

"Thanks," She muttered, handing the man her cash and turned started to head back to the table.

"Sanchez"

"What, Fitch?" She snapped, not really sure why. Maybe it was the beer. Maybe it was her own frustration over him, her emotions, her partner, the fact that _he_ wouldn't go get a drink with her after a particularly nasty case. Maybe she's mad that she can't depend on him like she thought. Maybe she's mad at herself for even thinking she could. She wasn't sure, but for some reason, for all those reasons, she was angry at their situation and the man before her.

"What's going on with you and Stone?" He asked. She stopped abruptly, feeling all walls come up around her heart.

"What are you talking about?" She dismissed.

"Oh, come on. You can't think we haven't all noticed Stone walking around like a kicked puppy for the last couple days. Did you sleep with him?"

"It's none of _your_ business if I did or didn't, Fitch." Ariana snapped.

"So if I had gone to get drinks with you that night, would you have had sex with me?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to slap him, strangle him, or kiss him. Violence seemed to be winning out though, but she curbed the impulse. Last thing she needed was to explain why she decked her coworker to Mason tomorrow morning.

"Forget it," Fitch said, brushing past her and heading back towards the table.

"No, you don't get to walk away this time Louis," Ariana said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back, though she knew he let her. If he really had wanted to go, there wasn't a force that could stop Louis Fitch. "You turned me down. Why the hell do you care what may or may not have happened that night?"

She saw something in Fitch's eyes snap as he looked at her. The hard look in his eyes turned her stone cold inside. It was a look she'd only seen when he interrogated some scum bag he knew was lying to him and she hated to be grouped into that category. She hated that he used that look on her. She wasn't a suspect. She didn't need to be interrogated and he didn't have the right to intimidate her. It took everything she had not to step back as he moved closer, bodies barely an inch apart and he whispered five words in her ear that turned her veins cold.

"Ask Finley in ten years."

Before she could absorb the words and what they meant, Fitch was across the room and grabbing his coat.

Ask Finley in ten years.

Those words rang in her head.

Finley.

Finley Mitchell, the two year old that was doomed to The System.

Or so she thought.

And suddenly, it all mad sense; Fitch's rejection. The Campbells' disappearance…

"You ok?"

Ariana snapped herself out of her thoughts and saw John, her partner, looking at her with concern. She couldn't speak. She couldn't find her voice. She just nodded her head at Stone, not trusting what would come out of her mouth if she said something.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I just…" She shook her head and pushed past Stone, trying to spot Fitch, but he was already out of the bar.

"Ariana"

She didn't hear what he said. She rushed away from her partner and outside, not caring about the cool Michigan air outside. She had to talk to Fitch. Her eyes scanned the street, trying to spot his car parked but it wasn't in sight. She began to jog down the street a bit, scanning cars, but it was pointless. He was gone.

Ariana reached for her phone in the holder clipped to her belt. She pulled it out and hit the speed dial number for Fitch's phone and waited impatiently while it rang.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up" she chanted as she waited impatiently.

"Hello"

"Fitch!"

"I'm not available. Leave a message."

Voice mail.

Her heart sank and she opened her mouth and closed it, trying to figure out what to say. Closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall, Ariana Sanchez pulled the phone away from her ear and ended the call.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

This is a two-shot because otherwise, Rockerbabe will kill me in my sleep and I'm too young to die. Reviews never hurt to prompt faster continuations ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry! I can't apologize enough to those of you who have read, favorite, and alerted this fic! I had every intention on finishing this thing after my finals were over and then I found out I missed my certification exam by ONE stupid point! So I had to hit the books again and then it was Christmas and then it was New Years and I realized if I never sat down at my computer to type this thing up, it probably wasn't going to happen because I'm an accountant and I'm already insanely busy at work and I got another three months of this! And then I sat down at my computer, multiple times, and started to write…but Sanchez and Fitch were not cooperating. They just wanted to do the opposite of what I wanted them to do and I finally had a "meeting of the minds" and told them to suck it up and just do it already (what I want them to do for the story sake) and they finally saw reason and agreed. So, I apologize, deeply for the delay in this. I hope you like how this turns out. I'm not even sure myself how it's going to play out as I put my fingers to the keyboard – these characters are surprisingly stubborn. I know how I want to start this and I know how I want to end it. The rest of it…well, we'll let it write itself and see how it goes. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Part 2**

You ever have that sick feeling in your stomach that comes from knowing you just made the biggest mistake of your life?

That was how Ariana Sanchez felt all weekend long.

The team was off for the weekend. Meaning, she wouldn't be seeing Louis Fitch.

She tried calling and calling but it went straight to voicemail. She left messages the first few times but gave up after that. She would have gone to his house/apartment/living space to discuss this but she didn't even know where he lived. There was a moment of weakness when she almost went down to the precinct and abused her power to get an address, but something told her that even if she hacked her way into his personnel file, the address would be a fake anyway.

There was another moment that she had grabbed her coat, keys, and was out the door of her apartment when she realized, that, even if she could find him, she didn't even know what she could or would say. She only knew that she had to see him. That they had to talk about this…whatever this was. She couldn't leave things the way they were. Something had to change.

It was the longest weekend of her life but she managed to get through it.

Monday morning couldn't come fast enough. She was up before her alarm and knew she'd be to work ungodly early, but she also knew she wouldn't be alone. She'd have some time alone with the man himself before the rest of the team made it in. Grabbing her coat, she hurried out the door, anxious to work whatever this was out between her and Fitch.

All weekend she went from loving the man more, to being angry as hell at him for not telling her, and hurt that he hadn't wanted to tell her. That much was clear. Right now, she was a cross between hurt and pissed and Arianna knew the only way to get rid of this storm of emotions was to hash this out.

The traffic into Downtown Detroit was surprisingly nonexistent. It was eerie and any other day, she would have dwelled on it longer. Today though, she was thankful for the quick drive into work. Entering the precinct, she crossed to maneuvered through the maze of hallways and file cabinets over to her desk. She was disappointed when she didn't see Fitch already at his.

Shrugging off her coat and tossing it over the back of her chair, Sanchez's eyes did a quick sweep of the area. Mason's light was on and the door was closed, indicating the older woman was already in the building, probably going through new cases and deciding who to assign what. Closer inspection of Fitch's desk made her frown. His coat was gone, computer was on screensaver and phone was on "do not disturb".

Shit.

Squaring her shoulders and trying to tame her anger, Sanchez crossed the office and knocked on Mason's door. A muffled "come in" greeted her as she was turning the knob to open it.

"You're here early," Mason observed as Sanchez stepped into her office.

"I couldn't sleep. Figured might as well just come in." Mostly true.

"Uh-hu. Since you're here," Mason handed out a file in her direction. "We've had a busy night," Mason continued as Sanchez grabbed the file from her outstretched hand and flipped it open to start scanning the contents. "I had to get Fitch and Washington in here two hours ago. Look it over and when your partner gets here, head out. We've got a long day ahead of us."

Taking her dismissal, Sanchez exited the office and sat down at her desk. She glanced at her phone and saw no messages. Sighing, she logged into her computer and opened the file on her desk, waiting for the operating system to load so she could check her email. Review of the case told Sanchez it would be standard – or whatever crossed for standard when it came to murder in the big city. Probably going to end up being some gang fight or someone caught in the crossfire.

Sometime later, Sanchez could hear the rest of the precinct coming in for shift change. She could hear muffled voices of, what sounded like, the rest of her team coming down the corridor. She glanced up just as Stone and Longford rounded the corner. Stone smiled at her and Longford called good morning. She reciprocated and waved the file at her partner.

After a short briefing, she and Stone headed out to begin their day. Getting into his car, Stone looked at her, a frown on his face.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Sanchez snapped.

"Look, I know you and Fitch had that fight the other day…that guy can be a real asshole sometimes. If you want to-"

"I don't want to talk about it," She snapped, barely managing to stop herself from adding the words 'with you' at the end of her sentence.

"OK, I get it. I just…" He sighed and started the car. "Forget it."

Sanchez sighed and turned her head and looked out the window as he pulled from his space and towards traffic.

This was going to be the Monday from hell.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time preliminary investigations were completed. Sanchez sat at her desk, running background checks on her victim and close contacts, looking for anything that could connect anyone to the man found shot on Jefferson Ave.

Hearing loud voices, she looked up from her work and saw the door to the interrogation room opening. A man she didn't recognize stepped out, looking pissed – as most suspects do – and storming out of the precinct. He was followed shortly by Washington, who looked a bit like a scolded school boy.

Now as her chance.

Rising quickly from her desk and crossing the room, she could hear Fitch's voice yelling at Washington as he moved away from the room.

"Hey Sanchez" Washington greeted, but she pushed past him as Fitch was exiting the room. Using all her strength, she shoved him back into the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Fitch demanded and Sanchez ignored him as she flipped the blinds closed and turned her attention back to the fuming man before her.

"You've been avoiding me."

"I've been working," Fitch stated, his voice condescending and she resisted the urge to hit him.

"You can't just drop that kind of a bombshell on someone and not have a follow up conversation!"

"This isn't exactly the right time for that!"

"I don't care!" Sanchez yelled, moving closer to him. "If I didn't have you locked in a room with me, you wouldn't even be entertaining the idea of this conversation, and you know it," Sanchez hissed, letting her anger course freely through her.

"What do you want me to say?" Fitch demanded, throwing his hands up in frustration. "That I regret saying anything? That you need to keep your mouth shut?"

"You don't trust me," She stated, laughing bitterly at the statement. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice from shaking as she said the words because it was true. If he had trusted her, he would have told her that night what he was doing. He would have taken her with him.

"What?"

"You don't trust me," She said again, repeating the words, feeling the weight of them on her soul and her heart.

"Where did you ever come up with that idea?"

"You would have told me sooner, or…"

"What was I supposed to do? Invite you to break the law with me?"

"YES!"

"Are you insane?" He demanded. "You need to drop this," he said, lowering his voice. "This could get us both fired or worst…" He trailed off a moment before pulling himself out of wherever his thoughts had trailed off for a moment. "You don't want to ruin your life like that, Ariana."

"That's what you're worried out?" She scoffed and turned away from him. "You don't have to worry, Louis. I won't tell on you," She spat, crossing to the door and throwing it back open and storming out of the room, not caring that the whole team was acting like they weren't trying to see or hear something of their spat.

She crossed to her desk, grabbed her coat, and stormed out of the office before anyone could stop her. She needed to get away from here.

* * *

Somehow, she found herself sitting at a bar, nursing drinks. She felt numb inside, like something inside her had broken and now she wasn't sure how to fix it or even what it was to begin with. She was angry. She was upset. She wanted to yell and cry and scream at the heavens for being so cruel. Mostly though, she wanted a man who was more mysterious and infuriating than anyone she had ever met before. He got under her skin, in both the good and bad way. He challenged her. He understood her. And she thought, somewhere along the way, she had seen want in his eyes. But she must have been mistaken.

The ringing of her cellphone pulled her out of her reverie. Without glancing at the caller id, she answered the call with her standard greeting.

"I know this guy," Fitch. She hadn't been expecting to hear his voice on the other end. Part of her wanted to hang up and throw the phone into the river and switch numbers and providers but shock, and something else, kept her on the line. "and he's been a bit of an ass to his best friend and may have totally ruined a good thing. Anyway, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about her and he wants to say that he's sorry."

"He does, does he?"

"So he says."

"Uh-hu. Sounds to me like he has to do some groveling," She said, smiling in spite of herself. It was typical Fitch. Make up over the phone.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be doing some major groveling, maybe even some begging for her to forgive him. I hear she thinks he doesn't trust her and she's wrong. She couldn't be further from the truth, because he trusts her more than anyone and it scares him sometimes. And it's my fault that I somehow made you think differently."

"I thought this was about your friend."

"Oh…well, he and I have a few things in common as of late." Fitch recovered and she couldn't help but grin at his words.

"I hadn't noticed,"

"Can we start over?"

"No. I don't think we can." She answered, "but we can move on."

"Where are you?" Fitch asked.

"At a bar. You gonna buy me a drink, Louis?"

"Are you asking me to?"

"I think it'll take more than a drink to make me forgive you completely." Sanchez stated, but knowing it was futile. She couldn't hate the man forever. She loved him too much. Needed him too much.

"Oh, I had more than a drink up my sleeve," Fitch stated, his voice going deeper.

"Promises, Promises," She said, trying to keep her voice steady.

He asked for where she was, and she gave directions. She hung up the phone, replacing it in her purse and took a sip of the beer she'd been nursing before his call. She wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Maybe they'd go back to her place. Maybe to his. Or, maybe they'd just stay in the bar and drink and flirt and talk.

Whatever happened next, she knew for sure that something needed to change between them.

~ FIN


End file.
